【学术论文】Functions of Continuing Engineering Education in China
2019.10.24

—Countering the Challenges in Major Energy and Water

WU Jinmeia, WU Weikub

(aSchool of Continuing Education, Tsinghua University; bEconomic Management College, Tsinghua University)

Abstract: Continuing engineering education is the strategic and basic work in training specialists and technical professionals. Based on Three Gorge Construction, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and West-East Gas transportation, we analyzed the characteristics of current major energy and water resource engineering and challenges for continuing engineering education, and proposed the functions of continuing engineering education in countering the challenges in major energy and water resource engineering projects.

Keywords: Continuing Engineering Education; Major Energy and Water Resource Engineering;

1.Continuing engineering education—the strategic and basic work in training specialists and technical professionals

Being one important part of whole-life learning system, continuing education aims to provide continuous trainings to people, especially adults who already received educations from schools. Continuing engineering education has the similar role. It intends to complement, renew, widen and improve engineering talents, especially undergraduates and postgraduates with new principles, knowledge, technologies and methodologies, so as to develop their creativity. Continuing engineering education is the strategic and basic work in training specialists and technical professionals inChina. It is of great significance to enforce this kind of education in order to improve talent quality, to increase independent innovation, to develop innovative country, to adapt to the current economic condition and to encourage talent and enterprise development.

2.Characteristics of major energy and water resource engineering

With the increasing population and fast growing economy, major energy and water resource engineering will remain developing at high speed for a very long time. Based on the three major energy and water resource engineering projects in 21st century in China i.e. Three Gorge Construction, West-East Gas transportation and South-to-North Water Diversion Project we summarized the key characteristics of these projects as below:

2.1 Long construction period and large scale

Yangtze River Three Gorges Project is the largest project inChinaas well as in the world. It starts in 1993 and takes 17 years to finish with the bulk investment of 90.09 billion RMB (13.28 billion USD) and dynamic investment of 203.9 billion RMB. The Reservoir is 600 kms long and 2000 meters wide, with an area of 100,00 square kms. The total installed capacity is 1820 Kilowatts and the average power generation is 84.68 billion Kilowatts.

West-East Gas transportation is by far the largest Gas Pipeline inChinaand worldwide. It is 4000 kilometers long, originating from Ta Limu in Xin Jiang and ending in town of White crane, Shang Hai. It spans 10 provinces including Xin Jiang, Gan Su, Ning Xia, Shan Xi, Shan Xi, He Nan, An Hui, Jiang Su, Zhe Jiang and Shang Hai. The total investment is 43.5 billion RMB and 26 thousand workers are involved in this project. This project starts in July, 2002 and ends on 1st Oct, 2004. 

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is the longest water diversion project, spanning multiple river valleys and provinces. There are total three diversion lines: east, middle and west lines linking the four major rivers: Yangtze river, Yellow river, Huai river and Hai river, comprising 4 horizontal and 3 vertical lines across China. This project starts on 27th Dec, 2003 and carries out in several phases. It is predicted to divert 44.8 billion cubic-meters water with 14.8 billion from east line, 13 billion from middle line and 17 billion from west line.

2.2 Broad expertise, subjects, innovation and challenges involved

A broad R&D fields are involved in the Yangtze River Three Gorges Project including sediment, transportation, hydrology, geography, Hydraulic, construction, building materials, metal materials, electronics, ecology, humanities. Five huge technical challenges are overcome in the construction processes: a. two river closures and concrete seepage wall construction; b. rapid construction of high strength concrete dam; c. excavation and stabilization of the slope for permanent lock; d. design and manufacture of the most advanced water-wheel generator groups worldwide; e, Installation and operation of water-wheel generator groups at the highest level worldwide. 

Many technical vacancies and challenges are present in the West-East Gas transportation project involving design, material, instrument manufacturing, construction, monitor, detection, acceptance check and operation. For example, long-distance, high-volume and high-pressure transportation technology; systematic single-resource and multiple-users gas transmission technology; multiple-site and –outlet automatic control system in gas transmission; X70 high-intensity pipeline production and layout; underground gas storage technology; larger-diameter pipline construction technology; ecology protection and public safety issues are among those  challenges present in this project.

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project also faces new challenges in the construction technology such as combination of new and old concrete in construction of Danjiangkou dam, large-section and shielding excavation technology applied in across-Yellow-river project, model selection and production of high-volume pump,  safety of water transmission over the ice period in north part of China and automatic management of long-distance water transmission et al.

2.3 International management integration and technology collaboration

Electronic generation instruments were acquired from Alstom and ABB, two of the fortune 500 company in the Yangtze River Three Gorges Project. Collaboration and overall technical transfer between Norway Kvaerner and Haerbin electronic company as well as Canadian GE, Germany VoITH and SIEMENS, and Eastern electronic Pte Ltd were also involved in this project. West-East Gas transportation is so farChina’s largest joint venture project. PetroChina and Sinopec collaborate with foreign companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Gazprom, Exxon mobil companies and Russian natural gas Construction and Transportation Company, and adopt HSE management and foreign director to meet the international API standard for the whole construction.Chinacollaborates withItalyon the water resource management in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

3.New challenges brought by major energy and water resource engineering

3.1 We need to adopt new concept in continuing engineering education required by major energy and water resource engineering projects, to establish the concept of people and include all the engineering and technical staff involved in major energy and water resource engineering projects into this comprehensive, continuous, and in-depth continuing education system, to establish innovative concept in order to develop creativity of engineers and technicians and train innovative, creative high-quality personnel, to develop continuing education as an industry, to explore the resources for major energy and water resource engineering projects, to solve problems impeding the motivation of continuing education, to make continuing education imperative to the major energy and water resource engineering projects and engineers and technicians.

3.2 Cotinuing education institutes need to improve their own ability as required by major energy and water resource engineering projects. At present, some continuing education institutions do not have prospective consideration about the needs of major energy and water resource engineering projects. They do not have adequate interactive communication with companies and intend to contact only those high level organizations. Moreover, the content of the textbook and the lack of lecturers who grasp extensive business experiences and high tech do not meet the needs of major energy and water resource engineering projects. The continuing education institutions therefore need to improve their own ability by continuous theory, system and work innovation.  

3.3 Continuing engineering education are facing double challenges from globalization of both domestic manufacturing and international engineering education. In view of the international technology and management collaboration in major energy and water resource engineering projects,  continuing engineering education in China should adapt to the trends of globalization of international engineering education and cultivate large quantity of international talents who possess international perspective, understanding international rules and able to participate international affairs and international competitioncontinuing engineering education also need to strengthen collaboration with renowned international universities and create cooperation platform for R&D, to improve the ability in drawing international advanced technology and drive china from a country with large population to one with strong human resources.

 

4.The functions of continuing engineering education in major energy and water resource engineering

4.1 Continuing engineering education provides strong support in training innovative talents , solving problems and developing innovative technology in the major energy and water resource projects. In recent years, continuing engineering education trains a large number of technical and management personnel, serving as practical ways in improving technology levels and the quality of the talents. The technology personnel in major energy and water resource engineering projects expand their knowledge, absorb new technological achievements and improve abilities in scientific and technological innovation. They effectively solve the problems in Three Gorges projects, fill the technical gaps in West-East Gas transportation, and promoteChina's independent innovation process. For example, they created a number of world records in the Three Gorges project and made a series of major technological breakthroughs.

By the end of 2007, Three Gorges projects have won 16 National Science and Technology Progress Award and more than 200 provincial science and technology award. There are more than 700 patents, 100 established standard for the project quality and technology and 100 world’ record created. A number of technologies achieve world-class level, which driveChina's hydropower construction entering into a new era. West-East Gas transportation creates the first gas pipeline system with operating pressure and diameter at world advanced level. It adopts for the first time the large-scale world pipeline compressor stations inChinawhich is also rarely used abroad. It also creates technical standard for the large-caliber long distance gas pipeline for the first time inChinawhich fills the 17 domestic blank in this technology.

4.2 Continuing Engineering Education is serving as co-operation ties and bridge for a major energy and water resource projects and management of international technology. In china continuing engineering education institutions has extensive links with international education resources by education and research cooperation. They track the world's scientific and technological development, digest and absorb advanced technology and innovation and develop themselves on this basis. Three Gorges Project Corporation and the domestic manufacturers train technical personnel via continuing engineering education, who absorb all the advanced technology introduced from internationally advanced mechanical and electrical equipment. They provide right-bank power station 4 sets of our own world-class generator which indicate the new era of independent researchindependent design, manufacture and installation of giant hydroelectric generating set has come.

4.3 Continuing engineering education is an important guarantee for sustainable development of the major energy and water resource projects. Due to long period of construction of major energy and water resource projects, there will be all kinds of technical problems, which require service engineers and technicians constantly update their knowledge and master cutting-edge technology. At each stage of project construction, Continuing Engineering Education is able to train all kinds of talents in order to ensure high-quality, high-standard and high-speed development of the major energy and water resource projects.

In order to improve the functions of continuing engineering education in major energy and water resource engineering projects, the government, educational institutions and enterprise should take the respective measures. Firstly, government should develop the supportive platform and favorable environment by taking policy and law measures for the development of continuing engineering education. Secondly, continuing engineering educational institutes should adapt to local preferences and needs, be able to apply their knowledge, develop scientific, wise and productive training curriculum and provide timely, effective and targeted trainings to professional and technical personnel at different levels. The training can be provided in a variety of ways such as training, discussion, education, self-study, case study, technology investigation, consultation, counterpart training and special trainings. Thirdly, the companies involved should generate the scientific and reasonable plans to educate the technical and management staffs in variety of ways. They should also take incentive measures to make sure the favorable effects of the trainings.  

 

References

[1] Suggestions on strengthening continuing education of technical professionals[J]National Edition2007No. 96.

[2] National medium and long term education development and reform outline (2010-2020) Xinhua News Agency 28th Feb, 2010.

[3] Luo Raocheng,Discussion of engineering education reform, construction strong country for engineering education[J], Education and modernization, 2008, 3 .

[4] Wu Jianzhong, Zhao aifeng,Review of the technical management of West-East Gas transportation project,Chinese project management website 2008-9-17 .

[5] Characteristics of South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Chinese website for South-to-North Water Diversion.

[6] Tian Zhongwei, Ye wei,5 million: proud Three Gorge